Flower Feline Sanctuary

Sunday, February 3, 2019

Sara, a "chocolate" seal point Siamese, is now quite friendly with me! She loves being petted and with her bunny-soft fur, I love petting her. I haven't weighed Sara but I believe she has lost a little of the extra weight she came with because her skin seems looser. She simply doesn't have the slender body type some Siamese kitties have and will always be a curvy girl.

The kitties mostly favor raw meat and along with canned foods, get a higher protein/high moisture diet that kibble cannot provide. When kitties come in to the sanctuary, they often have dull coats from eating mainly kibble and low muscle tone because they can't run and jump in conventional shelter settings. I understand that cost and convenience matter in shelters dealing with high numbers of cats, and hopefully these shelters are just temporary housing for most of the resident cats. (Anyone who has read books, blogs or the website of Nathan Winograd can marvel at the amazing work shelters and rescue groups are doing these days, compared to 50, 30, or even 15 years ago, while still aiming for a truly No-Kill nation.) Flower Feline Sanctuary is not sheltering a great number of cats. We are providing a loving home to a small number of kitties, albeit more kitties than most people have in their home. Sara is blossoming because we are a small sanctuary and able to address all of the kitties' individual needs. We won't grow past that point or we would be doing a disservice to the kitties.

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Cats love it when you read a newspaper or magazine! Indulge your kitty and help Flower Feline Sanctuary kitties by purchasing a magazine subscription through Amazon. Please use the link below to shop - hurry because the offer ends at the end of this month.

Saturday, January 12, 2019

Here's a long awaited picture of Foxy in her loft! She looks a bit unhappy but her eye contact is a huge sign of progress in her comfort level. Her chirpy meows in place of or in addition to hissing when I put her meal down are also a big step for her. Foxy lived under the Magnolia Bridge for possibly her entire life. Her only positive contact with a human was a lady who fed her regularly. Fortunately Foxy was spayed early on and hasn't spent her life producing kittens, so she is strong and healthy. I never lived with a calico cat and think I only sat for a few during my career in Seattle, as they are fairly unusual to find. Now I have two beautiful calicos living with me, Christina and Foxy!

There are feral cats living in many public areas and neighborhoods in communities all over the country. Feeding them is nice but the most important thing anyone can do for them is to get them altered to stop the cycle of kittens. If you know of someone feeding community cats and they are not capable or are overwhelmed with the idea of trapping and altering the cats, please help them or reach out to folks who can help. (Resources for folks who need help with TNR) We are lucky to have quite a few free and low-cost clinics in Western WA, such as. the Feral Cat Spy & Neuter Project in Lynnwood. Never trap cats like Foxy and take them to a shelter - this is certain death for a truly feral cat. There are barn home programs in more progressive shelters and rescue organizations, but make sure they actually screen the adopters and that the adopters understand how to acclimate a feral cat to a new location so that the cats don't simply get "dumped" and disoriented at their new property. (Help with finding placement for a working cat) Unlike house cats, cats in barn homes may be exposed to predators and face a shortened lifespan but given their nature, being free is tantamount to their ultimate happiness.

Foxy has access to an outdoor catio and isn't actually free to roam like a barn cat might be. Given that she had a consistent food source and was living in an urban setting, the Flower Feline Sanctuary is hopefully the best option for her to be safe and comfortable. Technically Foxy is "feral," but each cat has a unique set of circumstances about what living situation may be best. Being feral is not a black/white dichotomy and is not a crime that should result in death.

Monday, December 24, 2018

I thought I'd give you an update on some of the kitties. I have not been able to get any pictures of Foxy, although she is comfortable with me seeing her now. I still get a little hiss from her when I put her meal down but a few mornings she has let a little meow slip out as well! She has less of a grumpy face too. Could be Stockholm syndrome, or maybe she is starting to like the set-up here?

Bunny, who is a perfect cat but sadly remained overlooked at the shelter because of her age, is still doing great. She cuddles with the other kitties and allo-grooms me and the kitties. Sara is out and about in the room and the Catio all the time, unless there are people other than me around. She has discovered a toy that gets her to push a ball around a ring and really gets into it. She doesn't like me to see her doing that but I love watching how happy she is when she plays.

As the year winds down, I am thinking about all the people who have helped and supported us on our mission to create Flower Feline Sanctuary. All of these "cat people" love to see cats who haven't had the best of luck so far learn and grow to be happy, healthy and playing just like I do. Sanctuaries can only house a very small fraction of the animals who need a safe haven, but hopefully we send the message to society that these animals matter and inspire other caring people to continue to care.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed in whatever way to help Flower Feline Sanctuary help kitties. We hope to see you in 2019!

Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Thanks to everyone who came up to the island for our recent event! While some of the kitties hid because they are only used to their caretakers, others enjoyed the attention. Riley especially loved meeting new people, being admired, and having his picture taken. He is our most outgoing personality here, although he can be somewhat aggressive with people.

It's good for the kitties to see new people so they have less anxiety when they have to see people, such as during a vet visit. Bramwell and Christina likely didn't have adequate handling and socialization when they were kittens but were still around people, so they are shy but not feral. Ellie simply prefers some people over others and to do her thing. Foxy, our newest kitty, is a true feral and is finally allowing me to see her after being here for 6 weeks now. She still lets out a big hiss when I put her food down for her! I know it will be a long time before Foxy lets her guard down and feels comfortable with me being even remotely close by. I realize it literally could be years before she allows me to touch her. Sara, in the senior room of the house, is "letting her hair down" - I caught her playing with a toy when she thought I wasn't looking. So each kitty settles in at their own pace and hopefully, eventually, finds some joy in life.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Flower Feline Sanctuary is hosting a casual chili dinner on December 1st, 11am-4pm (chili served at noon). $25 suggested donation. Come and meet other kitty lovers, take a tour of the sanctuary, play Cat Trivia, and enjoy a full vegan meal. Lunch will be served inside but if weather permits we will make s'mores outside!PleaseRSVP to diane@kittystarservices.com

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Sara is out newest resident to Flower Feline Sanctuary. This beautiful seal point Siamese was available for adoption at a large area shelter for several months after being surrendered from the same home our kitty Bunny lived in. My guess is that the stress of confinement and lack of social engagement made Sara act unfriendly towards people and also given that she's 10 years old, potential adopters passed over her. Sara is clearly traumatized by her change in living situation and spends her days in a cupboard. She even eats her meals in the cupboard, which is fine because she is on a weight loss plan and this allows for strict portion control. At night she comes out to sit in a "safe spot" like the tall kitty condo in the photo above. She will accept treats but will not allow touching (yet). I am confident that taking the slow and steady approach will win Sara's heart eventually and she will tolerate (and enjoy) pets and brushing. I would love to be able to take some more photos of this gorgeous girl too. I will keep you all posted!